Friday, September 22, 2017

So many ask, how do you teach physical education? Well, I don't teach this class. I pay someone else to teach physical education. One daughter plays Division I soccer year round - so she puts in several hours every week with a trainer. My other two daughters dance - one is quite happy at Gateway Dance, where she is able to dance to Christian music - and one is quite busy as a company member of Beaumont Civic Ballet, where she puts in several hours every week with a teacher. And all three of my girls participate in a Homeschool Bowling League - that includes lessons before each league event; and will soon participate in Track/Cross Country with our co-op.

There are so many ways to keep our kids healthy and fit - how do you teach physical education?

Friday, September 15, 2017

How is your homeschool today? Has the latest disaster
drained your energy and given you an attitude that is less than positive? Just
when you think you can’t take anymore, you need to step back and regain your
focus. Your children need you to bring a positive perspective to their learning
environment.

I pray this poem will encourage you to be thankful and count
your blessings.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

We love using Progeny Press for our literature study guides so we were excited to receive the Macbeth E-Guide to review. The Macbeth
E-Guide is an Interactive Study Guide written for grade levels 9-12. With the
interactive files, students have the capability of entering their answers
directly on the computer and saving their work in progress. The interactive
file does not automatically grade the student’s work, teacher’s still grade
their work right on the computer and can leave comments or notes within the
file. You may also print off the study guide, purchase of the study guide
entitles an individual teacher to reproduce pages for use in the classroom or
home. Multiple teachers may not reproduce pages from the same study guide. I
usually purchase the booklets, so I printed out the study guide for my girls.

Like all Progeny Press study guides, the Macbeth E-Guide
includes:

·A concise synopsis of the book

·Information about the author

·Background information pertinent to the story

·Suggestions for pre-reading activities

·Vocabulary exercises for each section of reading

·Literary analysis and terminology questions
designed to give students a good understanding of writing technique and how to
use it

·Critical analysis questions designed to help
students consider and analyze the intellectual, moral, and spiritual issues in
the play and weigh them with reference to scripture

·A complete answer key and suggestions for
further reading

Macbeth is a classic tragedy by William Shakespeare. A brave
Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that
one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to
action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne
for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia. Forced to commit more
and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes
a tyrannical ruler. The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth
and Lady Macbeth into realms of madness and death.

Macbeth, also known as The Tragedy of Macbeth, is thought to
have been first performed in 1606. It dramatizes the damaging physical and
psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own
sake. Of all the plays that Shakespeare wrote during the reign of James I, who
was patron of Shakespeare’s acting company, Macbeth most clearly reflects the
playwright’s relationship with his sovereign. It was first published in the
Folio of 1623, possibly from a prompt book, and is Shakespeare’s shortest
tragedy.

Since 1992, Progeny Press has provided homeschool parents
and Christian school teachers with study guides for culturally relevant books
and novels, examined from a Christian perspective. Progeny Press study guides
are designed to teach students of all ages to examine what they read, Christian
or secular, classic or contemporary, and value the truth it contains as
measured against the Bible. A worthy goal indeed! If you want to study great
literature from a Christian perspective, here’s your answer! If in doubt, try
one – I’m sure you’ll be back for more!

Visit the Crew Blog
to read what the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about Progeny Press.

Sunday, September 10, 2017

You are invited to attend the September Summit on September
30, 2017 at Mid-Way Baptist Church, 4512 Ellis Drive, Kountze, TX 77625. The
four sessions of the September Summit are faith, friendships, food, and fun.
These four f’s are the ingredients for a happy homeschool mom.

FAITH – A short time of reviewing what God has to say about
issues closets to a mother’s heart can do wonders to fill up an exhausted mom.
Susan Reed, a homeschool mother of three, shares how you can have joy in the
journey with your priorities in place.

FRIENDSHIPS – Friendships strengthen us to be better wives
and mothers. As any mom can attest, we tend to get so focused on others that we
neglect ourselves; and that’s not good for anyone. We need to be with other
homeschool moms – for that occasional grown-up conversation. A time to
encourage one another and learn from each other’s challenges. During this
session, conversation prompts will set in motion the “gift of gab”.

FOOD – There’s something about a get-together with food that
nourishes a mother’s heart as well as her body. A luncheon will be served with
chicken Caesar salad, bread, brownie, and iced tea.

FUN – Fun is the final, and in my opinion the most important
session. Proverbs 17:22 says, “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a
broken spirit drieth the bones.” The Bible seems to suggest that laughter is a
good antidote for the blues. That’s why I take fun so seriously. Therefore, a
good game is a critical component for a successful September Summit.

09:00 – Check-In & Summit Shoppe

09:30 – FAITH

10:30 – FRIENDSHIPS

11:30 – FOOD & Summit Shoppe

12:30 – FUN

01:30 – Door Prizes – you must be present to win!

REGISTER by September 24, 2017 to attend the September
Summit and join moms like you to celebrate the homeschool journey together! We
do not offer refunds, just as you had purchased a ticket for a concert or
sporting event. However, you may transfer your registration to one other person.
If you wish to transfer your registration to another person, please email susanmreed22@gmail.com with the
transferee name and contact information.

Friday, September 8, 2017

In all my efforts to help homeschool families affected by Hurricane Harvey, I want to do something for our local public school students who have lost everything; but I need your help. If you will purchase a backpack or two, I will fill each backpack with school supplies, and distribute them to the local schools.

If your high school student has completed a biology course,
and is interested in marine biology, this course is for you! Exploring Creation
with Marine Biology is an advanced biology course that focuses exclusively on
marine wildlife and marine habitats, providing a survey of members of each
kingdom that lives in underwater environments. This text contains 16 modules.
Topics include microscopic organisms that make life in the ocean possible and
the anatomy of macroscopic marine creatures such as clams, starfish, and
sharks. Students will discover how these creatures and their physical
surroundings form marine ecosystems such as intertidal zones, estuaries, coral reefs,
continental shelf communities, epipelagic communities, and deep-ocean
communities. As you study all these things, you will see that the oceans play a
vital role for all life on earth, and you will be amazed at God’s handiwork!

The Student Textbook includes all the student reading,
instructions for labs, “On Your Own” questions, and a study guide at the end of
each module. The text has a conversational tone, and concepts are explained in
an easy-to-understand way. Answers to the “On Your Own” questions are also
included with discussion at the end of each module.

The Student Notebook includes a daily schedule, notetaking
pages, and space for answering all the “On Your Own” questions found in the
Student Textbook. But the most important and exciting section of the notebook
is the lab report section. Completing experiments and lab reports is an
essential part of science education. In this section, you will be able to
record everything you learn as you complete each experiment in the Student
Textbook.

The Solution Manual includes answers to each study guide at
the end of each module, tests, and test solutions. The set also includes a
separate perforated test booklet.

The MP3 Audio CD is a complete audio recording of the course
– this is the perfect accompaniment to the textbook for students who are
auditory learners, slow readers, or have other learning disabilities that make
reading difficult. The audio files are in MP3 format, and will require an
MP3-compatible CD player to use (these can also be run on most computers). Marissa Leinart captures your attention as she narrates every part of the book, verbatim, including the notes to the student.

Please note, the labs for this course come in 3 types:
microscope labs, dissection labs, and household labs. Since biology is a
prerequisite for this course, you already have a microscope. The microscope
labs require a prepared slides kit, which contains several prepared slides. The
dissection labs require a dissection specimens set. You should still have your
dissection tools from your biology course. The household labs use only
household equipment. A complete list of all lab supplies is located in Appendix
C of the student textbook.

Apologia Educational Ministries is the only science curriculum
we use, so I must add, that if you have a visual learner, I highly recommend
purchasing the Video Instruction DVD featuring Apologia author and scientist
Sherri Seligson. The DVDs include instructional videos for each module,
animated diagrams of difficult concepts, and video presentation of every
experiment from the Student Textbook. I did not receive the Video Instructional
DVD from Apologia Educational Ministries for this review, but this is one item
my daughter needs to make this a complete curriculum set. I am so glad
homeschooling allows us the freedom to choose the curriculum for each student’s
learning style. Using Apologia Educational Ministries science courses allows my
students to study independently while mastering in-depth knowledge through
hands-on application of contemporary scientific concepts.

Apologia Educational Ministries prepares students for
college-level studies as well as life beyond the classroom. Every science
course is designed to be vibrant, engaging, and academically rigorous while
helping the student to develop critical thinking skills and lifelong passion
for exploring God’s creation.

Friday, September 1, 2017

While it is perhaps only a small help - given the large losses that some have sustained - I would like to add a Homeschool Help section to THE Book Nook to help replace curriculum that was destroyed in the latest disaster. So many homeschool families in Southeast Texas have lost their curriculum, and we can help! Please consider donating your extra/unused curriculum and help a homeschool family replace what was lost and get back on track with their home education.

Here is what we need:
New or Like New Curriculum (current editions please)
New or Unopened School Supplies
Cash Donations to help with shipping cost

The Plan:
Over the next month, we will collect items and cash donations. You can mail your donations to THE Book Nook, 6235 Hwy 69 South, Kountze, TX 77625. Cash donations can be made directly to PayPal through susanmreed22@yahoo.com.

Once families are able to settle down and get back into the homeschool routine, they can contact THE Book Nook stating what they specifically need, and if we have the items, we will ship them to the families.

The term “lapbook” was first coined by Tammy Duby, a
homeschool mother and writer from Virginia, USA. She named it that because the
whole project could fit into a “book” that fits in the child’s lap. A lapbook
is a single-subject book created by a student, generally as a supplement to a
curriculum. A lapbook consists of file folders with mini-booklets glued inside.
Lapbooks can be used for any subject and any grade level. I use lapbooks with
my students to enhance creativity and critical thinking while integrating
subjects such as Bible, language arts, science, history, geography, and
mathematics, depending on the subject of the lapbook.

To create the Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and
Physiology Lapbook, you will need the following materials: a printed copy of
the Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology Lapbook digital
download by A Journey Through Learning, the Exploring Creation with Human
Anatomy and Physiology textbook by Apologia Educational Ministries, fourteen
file folders, scissors, glue, stapler, brads, and colored pencils.

This lapbook is designed to be completed with the Exploring
Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology textbook. There are fourteen lessons
in the textbook. Students will create one lapbook per lesson, making it a total
of fourteen file folders to complete this lapbook. Gather your file folders and
fold them so that they will be ready to use as you get to each lesson.

This lapbook includes directions for folding the file
folders, directions for constructing each mini-booklet, pages to read from the
Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology textbook, and what your
student will record in the mini-booklet after reading to show what is learned.
A small key is provided to show you where to glue each mini-booklet into the
file folders. This lapbook also includes an answer key, additional reading
suggestions for each lesson, and enrichment pages.

Throughout this course, students will take a voyage through
the skeletal, muscular, respiratory, digestive, circulatory, immune, and
nervous systems. They will study nutrition, health, and embryology to see what
makes each of us a unique creation of God. Psalm 139:14 reads “I will praise
thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and
that my soul knoweth right well.” From head to toe, this course is a personal
encounter with God’s design for the human body.

This lapbook has been a great supplement to the Exploring
Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology textbook! My sixth grader loves
hands-on learning and this lapbook has expanded her knowledge of human anatomy
and physiology. We have created several lapbooks throughout our homeschool
years, and I must say, A Journey Through Learning Lapbooks has done an
exceptional job in creating each mini-booklet for this course.

Visit the Crew Blog
to read what the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about A Journey Through
Learning Lapbooks.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

EverydayHomemaking has created an eBook EverydayCooking that provides easy-to-prepare, nutritious, budget-friendly meals
for you and your family. In the spirit of Titus 2, Vicki shares timesaving
tips, meal planning, shopping hints, and pressure cooker tips. But above all,
she shares her own family recipes – breakfast ideas, appetizers, dressings,
grains, main dishes, soups, sides, desserts, snacks, and how to make homemade
vanilla extract. Please note, while emphasis is on whole foods cooking, they
are not purists, you will find their favorite Jell-O salad recipe, plus many
sugar-free and gluten-free options.

My girls would rather bake than cook; and they all love
chocolate, so it was no surprise that my girls selected to make Edna’s Triple
Chocolate Cake. Not a whole foods items, but very yummy!

Combine in small saucepan over low heat. Cool slightly
and drizzle over cooled cake.

Edna’s Triple Chocolate Cake is very moist and delicious!
So good, my girls were making another cake within the same week! The recipe is
quite simple and very easy to follow.

As I was looking through the recipes, I came across
“Bacon with Less Mess” and was a bit intrigued. I have never cooked bacon in
the oven. Needless to say, I gave it a try. To cook 1 pound of bacon with less
mess, preheat oven to 400. Line a rimmed baking pan with foil. Separate bacon
slices and place on a rack in the pan, or crumple the foil to create ridges to
catch the bacon drippings. Bake 10-20 minutes, to desired crispness. When I
followed this recipe, I crumpled the foil to create ridges to catch the bacon
drippings. I had to bake 25 minutes to get the bacon crispy, and it was still
too greasy for me – but then I do not eat a lot of greasy foods. I blotted each
strip with a paper towel to remove the grease. Next time, I will use a bacon
rack instead of foil and see if it makes a difference when cooking bacon in the
oven.

Vicki also shares the unit study her children did for
high school as one portion of a home economics credit; and she provides a Food
& Nutrition Mini-Unit as an example. She also shares the Basic Cooking
Skills Checklist which provides a list of dishes to prepare from scratch where
children demonstrate their understanding of various cooking techniques.
Completion of the list earned Vicki’s children a full home economics credit –
whether they completed it in a month or three years.

Vicki is offering 10% off (print or eBook) through Labor
Day! Use code TOS10books to save 10%!

Friday, August 18, 2017

How many times have you doubted your decision to homeschool
– one, two, ten, more? Doubt may be a natural human response, but instead of
looking at the waves of adversity, God asked me, “Will you walk by faith and
trust in my leading?”

Meeting me in my limited faith, the Lord gently showed
himself faithful as I sought his wisdom to homeschool each day. First, God
encouraged me with the truth of Deuteronomy 6:6-9 “And these words which I
command thee this day shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them
diligently unto thy children, and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in
thine house, when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when
thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they
shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the
posts of thy house and on thy gates.” Then, God provided constant encouragement
through a dear friend who had homeschooled her children through college – I am
so thankful for this friend and her words of wisdom.

If your doubts are outweighing your faith in homeschooling
today, the Lord is waiting to show himself mighty to you. Simply cry out and
he’ll show himself to be Lord of your homeschooling. “But let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with
the wind and tossed” (James 1:6).

God has a perfect plan for your homeschool - walk by faith
and allow God to lead your homeschool.

Visit the BLOG HOP
to read words of encouragement from the Homeschool Review Crew.

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Outside the home, my girls participate in many
extracurricular activities.

1. Co-op Classes

2. Field Trips

3. Service Scouts

4. Homeschool Bowling League

5. Dynamo Dash Youth Soccer Club

6. Beaumont Civic Ballet

7. Marsha Woody Academy of Dance

8. Gateway Dance

9. Volunteer

10. Music – piano, flute, saxophone

Outside the home, my girls have made many friends – friends
from like-minded Christian homes. I can honestly say that I am pleased with
their choice of friends, many of whom are not all the same age. When I was in
school, most of my friends were exactly my age, until high school when I had
friends different in age. How blessed my daughters are to be free of social
stigmas!

Visit the BLOG HOP to read what the Homeschool Review Crew
has to say about extracurricular activities outside the home.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

As a homeschool mom, I have a homeschool plan. In fact, I
have a plan for the entire homeschool year. While some may baulk at the idea of
planning out the entire homeschool year, allow me to share how and why I plan
for the entire homeschool year.

Planning a full year of schoolwork for your students may
seem like a formidable task at first; but dividing the work into four quarters,
makes the task more manageable. As you can see from my example, I plan a 4-day
week and we complete the homeschool year in 36 weeks. Quarter 1 completes weeks
1-9. Quarter 2 completes weeks 10-18. Quarter 3 completes weeks 19-27. Quarter
4 completes weeks 28-36.

To plan out a textbook by lessons, list the number of
lessons in it and add the number of tests to be used with the textbook – this
is your total number of lessons. Next, divide the total number of lessons by
the number of school days to estimate how many lessons should be completed each
day.

For example, my daughter’s foreign language curriculum
includes 180 lessons. Planning a 4-day week, she will complete 2 lessons on Day
1 and then complete 1 lesson on Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4. She will continue this
pattern throughout the 36-week school year.

Please note, my lesson book is also my grade book. When the
assignment is complete, I write in the grade. After each quarter, I average the
grade for the quarter and write it next to the quarter number. I then transfer
this information to my student’s transcript or report card and then at the end
of the year all I have to do is figure the final grade.

Now that you know I am a planner, perhaps you would like to
know why I plan the entire school year.

A plan brings freedom. By taking the time in the summer to
create my lesson plan for each subject, I don’t have to waste my time during
the school year trying to structure all the “HAVE TOs”. I can use this time to
provide some of the “WANT TOs”. We have the freedom to take rabbit trails,
create memories, and explore new interests because the foundation has already
been created.

A plan affords flexibility. With a lesson plan already
established, I can see at a glance what subjects need concentrated effort and
what subjects won’t require as much time and attention that day. If we need to
jet off to an unplanned doctor’s appointment or make a meal for a sick friend,
I can quickly glance at my plan and know what can easily be brought along with
us or can be started and then put on hold until later that day. And sometimes
we just have to rearrange our week, if we have a doctor’s appointment on
Wednesday, we do school on Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Friday, this is why I love
our 4-day lesson plan.

A plan provides a goal. As the old saying goes, “Without a
plan, you plan to fail.” Having a year-long plan sets definite goals for both
me and my girls. While we may not complete everything on the plan each day, we
always maintain forward motion because there is a clear and KNOWN goal. My
children’s education is of high priority to me. I cannot afford to slip to
idleness. Having a plan, or a goal, motivates me into action!

A plan creates a season. Scripture reminds us in
Ecclesiastes 3:1 that there is a season for everything under the heavens. While
each season of creation is different, they all have two things in common – a
BEGINNING and an END. The very nature of a year-long lesson plan creates an
obvious BEGINNING and an obvious END – a season. Without a plan of action, how
can anyone know when the action is completed?

If you need help planning a full year of schoolwork, I
would be glad to offer my assistance. Feel free to contact me and I can do this
for you – all you would have to do is print the pages and create your own
binder.

Visit the BLOG HOP
to read what the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about Planning / Record
Keeping.

Monday, August 14, 2017

Living in Texas, in order to be a legitimate homeschool, you
must have a curriculum which teaches reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics
and a study of good citizenship, and you must pursue that curriculum in a bona
fide manner. This curriculum may be obtained from any source and can consist of
books, workbooks, other written materials, or materials on an electronic
monitor including computer or video screens, or any combination thereof. This
year we have two students in 11th grade and one student in 6th
grade; and today I would like to share with you what curriculum we are using in
My Happy Homeschool.

11th Grade Curriculum

BJU
Press – French 1 (Brieanna)

Signing
Naturally – Level 1 (Kaylee)

BJU
Press – Writing & Grammar 11

BJU
Press – Algebra 2

Apologia
Educational Ministries – Chemistry

Mystery
of History – Volume IV

Drive
Thru History – America

Progeny
Press – To Kill a Mockingbird

6th Grade Curriculum

Christian
Liberty Press – Building Spelling Skills Book 6

BJU
Press – English 6

Modern
Curriculum Press – Mathematics Level F

Apologia
Educational Ministries – Human Anatomy and Physiology

Mystery
of History – Volume IV

Drive
Thru History – America

Progeny
Press – The Secret Garden

Steck
Vaughn – Maps, Globes, Graphs Level F

I purchase the BJU Press curriculum through a friend when
she has her exhibits so that I can save 25% off textbook kits and 10% off
distance learning kits and single textbooks and receive free shipping. All other
curriculum listed is purchased through the Rainbow Resource Center, Drive Thru
History, or THE Book Nook.

Visit the BLOG HOP
to read what the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about Curriculum.

Hey, Andrew! Teach
Me Some Greek! teaches Biblical Greek using a combination of deductive,
inductive, and interactive methodology. Its main goal is to equip students to
study the Greek New Testament for themselves, so they can identify inaccurate
theology based on faulty exegesis. But it’s also worthwhile to pursue for
expanding vocabulary, since many English words have Greek roots. Because of the
gentle introduction and incremental learning, this series is excellent for
teaching Biblical Greek without prior experience with the language.

Level 2 begins with a thorough review of the Greek
alphabet. The remainder of the workbook focuses on eleven foundational Greek
vocabulary words which will be used in Level 3 to introduce Greek grammar. The
target age for Level 2 is 2nd through 4th grade; but
older students and adults can begin here if they do not know the Greek
alphabet.

The Hey, Andrew!
Teach Me Some Greek! Level 2 Workbook provides lots of practice
opportunities to ensure that lessons are retained and absorbed. Students will
trace and free-write the Greek letters as they practice the sound the letter
makes and its name; match words with the translations; fill in missing Greek
words within a sentence; match Greek words and their pronunciations; and
practice their Greek handwriting. Flashcards are located in the back of the
book. As you may already know, the key to success with this program is
consistent use of the flashcards. Do not move ahead in the workbook if your
student is struggling for mastery. Review the flashcards every day until your
student is confident and ready to learn more.

The Hey, Andrew!
Teach Me Some Greek! Level 2 “Answers Only” Answer Key provides a line-list
of answers that accompany the Hey,
Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! Level 2 Workbook. Answers are arranged by the
workbook page number with the activity type given when needed.

The Hey, Andrew!
Teach Me Some Greek! Pronunciation CD ensures that you are correctly
pronouncing what you are learning. This audio CD accompanies Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! Level
1 and Level 2. Tracks include the Alphabet Song, the Reader (a Biblical Greek
Primer), pronunciation of the Greek letters, and pronunciation of new
vocabulary.

Learning Greek has been quite easy to learn with this
curriculum, much better than other curriculums on the market. My 6th
grader enjoyed the lessons, so much, she was asking me “When are we going to
learn more Greek?” To make learning fun, I use the flashcards and make it a
game between my three girls, the flashcards are mixed up on the table and they
have to locate the letter or its sound as I call it out. A great way to
reinforce each letter and its pronunciation.

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Although homeschooling is the best form of education for
children and is immensely beneficial for family relationships, it is not
without its challenges. The challenges I want to address today can be minimized
with the strategies presented in this post.

#1 Money

No matter how you approach it, homeschooling is an
investment. Curriculum is not cheap; but there are ways to save! Our family
saves 25% off textbook kits and 10% off all other BJU Press purchases by
placing an order through our rep when she holds her exhibits. I do not get
these kinds of savings when I order the rest of our curriculum; but I always
make sure I qualify for free shipping. We also shop through THE Book Nook – a
curriculum consignment shop where everything is 50-75% off retail prices!

#2 Socialization

Now that your children are at home with you around the
clock, it is easy to fall into a rut of staying home and keeping to yourselves.
But this is not healthy, and the children will not have the opportunity to hone
their skills and character as they’re with others with different strengths and
weaknesses. I recommend that you join a homeschool support group or get more
involved in church and community activities. True socialization is the ability
to interact with people of all ages, young and old. Homeschoolers usually excel
in this area due to the multi-age environment of a home.

#3 Sports

In Texas, homeschoolers cannot play sports through the
public school; but there are other opportunities where they can play sports. Homeschool
groups in our area offer volleyball, basketball, cross country, and a
homeschool bowling league.

I have a daughter that plays on a competitive soccer team.
Homeschoolers can play soccer all the way through high school through a local club.
All of my girls participate in the homeschool bowling league and will
participate in cross country this Fall. My oldest daughter is a member of
Beaumont Civic Ballet. All my girls are very active and I am so proud of their
accomplishments!

#4 Well-disciplined Children

If your children are not well behaved, you will soon
discover that a rebellious child is an unteachable child. Your children must be
obedient and submissive to authority if you ever expect to teach them anything.
Wives, if you are not submissive to your husbands, do not expect your children
to be obedient and submissive to you. Your children will treat you as they see
you treat your husband.

Homeschooling has its challenges; but know you’re not alone!
I would be glad to help you along your homeschool journey, feel free to contact
me with your homeschool challenges, or to purchase materials through THE Book
Nook.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Heirloom Audio Productions is passionate about bringing
Christian history to life through audio theater and their audio adventure of Inthe Reign of Terror is an extraordinary adventure! This 2-CD set
provides 2 ½ hours of non-stop adventure while building character in the next
generation by bringing the lessons of history to life.

Bill Heid
has assembled a world-class cast of professional actors and added sound effects
that engages your imagination by taking you back in time as you listen to
history’s most daring expedition. When 16-year-old Harry visits France, his
journey plummets him into one of history’s darkest times – the French
Revolution. Chaos challenges Harry’s faith as he struggles not only to survive,
but to rescue the family who lovingly took him in as their own and who now face
the guillotine for no other crime than their noble lineage. This audio
adventure will leave you breathless as you follow one boy’s journey from the
crushing darkness of human pride to the hope and courage of God’s loving light.

Conversations
between Harry and other characters help listeners understand that, unlike the
American War for Independence, the French Revolution was a coup d'etat by armed
thugs who represented nobody but themselves and based their revolution on the
rejection of Christianity and the glorification of human reason and which
therefore degenerated into the Reign of Terror that flowed with innocent human blood.
As one of the characters says at the end, the symbol of the American War for
Independence is the Liberty Bell; the symbol of the French Revolution is the
guillotine.

Heirloom
Audio Productions has created a brand new Live the Adventure Club site that
contains all of the downloadable bonus features that are included when you
purchase In the Reign of Terror as a
club member. In the “Educational Treasures” section, you will find a study
guide for the audio theater presentation of In
the Reign of Terror. It is designed for parents who want to help their
younger students through the storyline and its lessons. It can also serve as a
series of written assignments for older students. The sets of questions begin
and end as the narrative takes new turns, and each may cover from four to eight
minutes of the audio drama. Each set of questions has three parts – Listening
Well, Thinking Further, and Defining Words. The Listening Well questions ask
your student what he has heard or what he has remembered.The Thinking Further questions ask your
student to think a bit, to look up something mentioned in the story, to draw
conclusions from the characters’ actions, or to speculate about the intentions,
mindset, and character of Harry and his friends and enemies. The Defining Words
section gives your student an opportunity to enhance his vocabulary and
understanding of the story – he will need to use a dictionary for most of the
words. At the end of the study guide there is a recommended reading list for
older students who want to learn more about the French Revolution. After that,
there are three brief Bible studies that may help you understand some of the
biblical themes that are woven into the narrative. At the very end, there are
some brief essays that provide historical background for the story of In the Reign of Terror.

Our family
really enjoyed listening to this audio theater presentation, in fact, travel
time turned into adventure time! I highly recommend Heirloom Audio Productions
and their stories of virtue and valor, daring and determination, character and
courage – when history is taught through stories, it is not forgotten.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

More and more people are choosing to homeschool their
children these days because they have discovered the benefits of homeschooling.
When I consider the benefits of homeschooling, I also see the reasons why I
homeschool.

#1 To Provide a
Christian Education

Proverbs 22:6 admonishes us, “Train up a child in the way he
should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” The scriptures do
not leave us in doubt as to what “way” is meant. Christian parents are directly
responsible to God for raising up children who know Him, love Him, and follow
Him in every area of life.

“And these words which I command thee this day shall be in
thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt
talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, when thou walkest by the way,
and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for
a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And
thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house and on thy gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-9.

#2 To Provide a
Custom-Made Education

Homeschooling allows you to customize your child’s
curriculum to fit their learning style, readiness, interests, and abilities.
And if one curriculum is not working, you have the freedom to stop and select a
different curriculum – we have changed math curriculum in the middle of the
year because it was not a good fit for our family.

#3 Flexibility

You don’t need a set time to homeschool. When you have a
child living with multiple health issues and spend many days in a hospital or
doctor’s office, you discover the joy of homeschooling is schooling around your
schedule. Yes, I plan our curriculum out with a four-day-week to allow Friday
off; but sometimes we have to homeschool on Friday if we have a doctor’s
appointment one day during the week – I love this flexibility!

Homeschooling allows my family opportunities to participate
in church ministries, music lessons, field trips, scouting, soccer, dance, and
community volunteer work because it does not take all day to complete the
school work.

Homeschooling affords us some wonderful opportunities to
shape our children’s lives and to tailor their education to their unique
specifications. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t without its challenges. Next week,
I will look at the challenges of homeschooling.